Golden State averages 17.7 points per game from Cuts and 14.8 points per game from Off Screens. They opened with a 5-game series win over the eighth-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves and followed that up with 5-game win over the fifth-seeded Utah Jazz. Harden wilted in last year's playoffs after having to carry the Rockets offense. If the line holds, it will be only the seventh time this season Golden State has been an underdog.

These two teams met three times this season, with Houston winning two of the three meetings.

In Texas, Chris Paul scored 41 points as Houston made sure of their place in the Conference Finals. They beat Oklahoma City in six games to reach the Western Conference semifinals, where they lost 4-1 to the Houston Rockets. Can the Warriors play tighter defense like they did against the Spurs against the Rockets or will they find themselves in another up and down the floor type of series here?

David Griffin put together the last roster that beat the Warriors in the postseason. The Warriors have been good at the charity stripe, cashing in 81.6 percent of their chances so far. Golden State also needs to keep on dominating the third quarter. But it's Paul who would take over down the stretch, scoring 20 points in the fourth quarter alone. Kevin Durant is averaging 28 points and eight rebounds while Stephen Curry is averaging 24.5 points and 3.5 assists. Curry and Paul can go blow for blow while Harden and Klay Thompson do the same, and these games are going to be won around the perimeter. Opposite that are the Warriors, who only attempted the 17th most in the league on the season, making the eighth most while having the most efficient 3-point shooting team (39 percent) in the entire National Basketball Association. The Pelicans shaved the lead to seven points with two minutes left on a basket by Davis before Draymond Green's turnaround fadeaway moments later. The Houston Rockets front office did a really good job surrounding Paul with great shooters and defensive role players. Houston set a franchise record with 65 wins in the regular season, went 2-1 against the Warriors in games that were hyped at the time though seem meaningless now, and has the likely MVP in James Harden. After splitting the first two games on home court, Houston took both games on the road in Utah to take a commanding 3-1 series lead with Game 5 back in Houston.

Paul, a nine-time All-Star in his first season with Houston after an offseason trade from the Los Angeles Clippers, also had 10 assists and seven rebounds.

Both teams are healthy for this one, which is something that didn't always happen in the regular season. "What'd he say? Yeah, you've got to play the game now", Green said with a laugh. Playing at home, give the Rockets a slim edge here. Whether that's based on the Warriors' pedigree from the past three years and the experience gained from it or something else, it's a little surprising. The Rockets won the final matchup of the regular season. At one point during the season, they clearly missed miss his presence and the Jazz were in danger of falling out of the playoff race in January.

The Houston series may have played out differently has Rubio been able to play.

"You can't just make that many shots in a row".

Related news

And by and large, it usually takes at least a couple of years for an expansion team in those leagues to do anything significant. Play went on for 25 more seconds before the buzzer rang, with the situation room in Toronto calling for a video review.

Nadal extended his winning streak to 50 consecutive sets on clay, eclipsing the mark McEnroe established on carpet in 1984. Prior to the match, Nadal had brushed off the significance of overtaking McEnroe's total against the Argentine.

No judges are on the May ballot after lawmakers did away with judicial primaries this year while they rework judicial districts. Early voting in Boone County takes place at the Election Center at he corner of Cherry Street and Central Avenue in Harrison.

For players seeking an extremely challenging experience, Warmind includes an all-new endgame activity called Escalation Protocol . It also brings new playable content in Crucible: Bungie is ditching the DLC ownership requirement for all maps in matchmaking.

Pelmorex - which operates the system - says all Alert Ready partners are working together to investigate the test alert results. Nova Scotian cell phones are expected to beep and buzz at 1:55 p.m Wednesday as a test of the Alert Ready system is sent out.

The Cloud Clipboard is now available in Windows 10 Build 17666 for the Windows Insiders enrolled in the Fast and Skip Ahead rings. The new Acrylic feature is also there on the list which will add transparency to the transient UI such as pop-up menus.

The initial decision on their offer by the United Kingdom government will come two-days after the final decision for Fox's offer. The outcome of the case, which is expected to be announced in June, will determine whether or not Comcast makes the bid.

Israel has traded blows with Iranian forces in Syria since February, stirring concern that major escalation could be looming. Norway's Saga Energy signed a 2.5 billion euro ($3 billion) deal in October 2017 to build solar power plants in Iran.

Facebook said the move was in line with the company's strategy aimed at increasing transparency during political campaigns. It added: "We understand the sensitivity of this campaign and will be working hard to ensure neutrality at all stages".

Fortnite: Where to Find Thanos
The patch decreased Thanos' shield cap from 300 to 200, but raised his max health from 700 to 800. If you haven't got a chance to play in the new mode yet you better hurry before it's gone.

Selena Gomez forgot to stop with the bronzer at the Met Gala
A great Met Gala look checks all the boxes: It reflects the year's theme, the designer's aesthetic and the celebrity's style. In the video, Gomez is seen sprinting away from the camera and into the backseat of a van as her dress trails behind her.

Warren Buffett Speaks About Why He Chooses Apple Stock
He likened it to Oscar Wilde's definition of fox hunting, calling it "the pursuit of the uneatable by the unspeakable". Buffett renewed his desire to spend some of Berkshire's low-yielding cash on a major acquisition.

Sunny With Light Winds Today
Thursday should be partly sunny with a high in the mid-60s, but showers could begin in the afternoon, the weather service said. The low will be around 63, with a south wind of 9 to 15 miles per hour , gusting as high as 25 miles per hour .